Improvement in apparatus for lighting gas by electricity



3 Sheets--Sheet1,

J. P. TiRRELL' improvement in Apparatus for Lighting Gas by Electricity.

Patented Aug 20, 1872,

3 Sheets--S'neet 2i.

J. P. TIRR'ELL. Improvement in Apparatus for Lighting Gas by Electricity.

N0. 130,770. f/@.2. Patented Aug. 20 i872.

WIT/YESJES. f/YVE/YTOR. y 775x14 fidilzz 3 Sheets--S'heet 3. .i. P. TIRRELL.

improvement in Apparatus for Lighting Gas by Electricity.

.No, 130,770, Patented Aug.20, 1872..

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UNITED STATES JACOB P. TIBRELL, OF UHAB'LESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING GAS BY ELECTRICITY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,770, dated August 20, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB P. TIRRELL, of Oharlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Apparatus for Lighting Street-Lamps, 850.; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying plates of drawing.

This invention relates to that class of electrical apparatus for lighting street-lamps in which the current is successively thrown into the magnet at each burner one after another; and under this invention the circuit-breaker is located at the burner, and by the direct action of the current through the magnet located at the burner the circuit-breaker and the valve to let on or turn oif the gas are both operated, and the current after the opening or closing, as the case may be, of the valve to one burner is completely out off from the magnet of such burner and thrown into the magnet of the next burner, and so on.

In the accompanying plates of drawing the present invention is illustrated.

In Plates 1 and 2, Figures 1 and 2 are elevations from different sides. In Plate 3, Fig. 3 is a partial plan view and horizontal section; Figs. 4 and 5, detailed views.

A in the drawing represents a gas-burner, to which B is the feed-pipe, provided with two horizontal platforms, 0 and D, for carrying the apparatus of this invention; E, a U-magnet horizontally located and secured on the lower platform 0, with the pipe B in and between the legs F of the magnet; G, the armature, properly located with regard to the magnet E, and secured to the lower end of an upright lever, H, turning upon a fulcrum at I, of the feed-pipe B; J, the circuit-breaker, secured in the upper end of the lever H, and projecting upward to the plane of the escape of the gas from the burner; K, a post in upper platform D, and in electrical connection with the earth. At the upper end of the post K is a horizontal platinum arm, 12, against which rests the point a of the circuit-breaker J when the lever H is at rest. 11, a spiral spring applied to lever H to throw back the armature G from the magnet E 5 0, an upright arm. This arm 0, at its lower end, is hung upon a fulcrum, d, of an insulator-block, e, on platform 0, and at its upper end it is in a position to bear against the periphery of a sector-wheel, f, fixed to the spindle g of valve in gas-pipe B 5 c, a bent spring applied to arm 0 to hold it against the sector-wheel f, and when escaping from the periphery thereof to swing it on its fulcrum. The arm 0 at 1?, between its two ends, is insulated. h, a finger-piece, projecting horizontally from lower end of arm 0. This finger piece h, at its outer end, lies in a position between the two pins 1 and m, projecting horizontally, one above the other, from the block 0. The lower pin, 1, extends wholly through the block 6, and similarly proj ects therefrom upon its other side, being there lettered as 1 The upper pin, m, only enters the block, but on the opposite side of the block thereto a similar pin, m is located, also only entering the block. Q, an arm similarly constructed, arranged and hung on the block 0 to the arm 0. This arm Q is in position to bear upon the periphery of a sector-wheel, oz, fixed to the gas-valve spindle g, and for its finger-piece 702 to lie in and between the projecting pins Z and m of the block 0. The sector-wheel a is back of the sector-wheelf. The two sector-wheels f and a are of equal diameter, of an equal length of arcthat is, a half of a circle; the two together complete the circumference. The relative location of the sector-wheels f and n on the valve-spindle is such that with the arm 0 on the periphery of the sector-wheel f the arm Q will be off the periphery of its sector-wheel a, and vice versa; and the purpose of the said sector-wheels is to turn their respective arms 0 Q so as to bring about a bearing between their respective fin ger-pieces h 7L2 and the lower pins Z P, and also to allow the springs applied to the said arms 0 Q to react and bring their finger-pieces into contact with the upper pins m m. R, aratchet-wheel secured to gas-valve spindle back of inner sector-wheel a; and S a spring pawl hung to lever H and arranged from the movement of such lever to act upon the ratchet-wheel R to turn it in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, Plate 1. In lieu of a ratchet-wheel, a friction-wheel and clutch may be employed, such as shown in Fig. 5. M and N, wires leading from the electric battery employed. The wire M is to let on and the wire N to shut off the gas at the burner A. The current is thrown into the one or the other of said wires by means of a double switch, such as is employed ordinarily in electrical gas-lighting apparatus, and, therefore,

needs no particular description herein. The "wire M connects with the arm 0 and the wire N with the arm Q. T, a wire connecting lower pin 1 with magnet E; and U, a wire connecting magnet with circuit-breaker J. V and W, wires respectively connected with upper pins m and m, from which they are to lead to the next burner, and to such burner become the letting-on and turning-off wires as the wire M and N to the burner A.

The position of the several parts composing the mechanism hereinabove described is at all times, if at rest, substantially that shown in Fig. 1, Plate 1, and only (lifi'ers therefrom in any condition of rest, in the relative positions of the two arms 0 Q, according as one or the other is bearing on its respective seetor-wheelf or n. By the shown positions of the two arms 0 and Q, the finger-piece h of arm 0 is against the lower pin 1, and the finger-piece h of arm Q against the upper pin m of block a. This relative contact with the pins Z l m m of the finger pieces to the two arms is always maintained, they never being both at the same time in contact with the lower pins 1 Z or the upper pins m m but always the one with a lower pin and the other with an upper pin, alternately.

With the arms 0 and Q in the relative positions described and shown, if, now, a current of electricitybe thrown into the wire M, (which, as stated, is the letting-on wire,) it is obvious it will pass into the magnet; (the connection being through arm 0, finger-piece h, pin 1, and wire T thence to the circuit-breaker J and then, as the circuit is complete, the armature G will be drawn toward the magnet, turning its lever H on its fulcrum, which carries the circuit-breaker J beyond the end-of the platinum arm I), breaking thereby the circuit and emitting an electric spark. This breaking of the circuit destroys the attractive force of the magnet, and leaves the lever H to be pulled backward by the spring L, which backward movement of the lever completes the circuit by bringing the circuit-breaker into contact with the platinum arm I), when another attraction of the armature G occurs, again breaking the circuit, emitting a spark, and so on, as before.

By this alternate forward and'backward movement of the lever H, the ratchet-wheel R on gas-valve spindle is intermittently rotated, carrying with it the valve-spindle g, and sector-wheels f n. If this rotation of Y the valve-spindle g be continued sufiiciently,

the periphery of the sector-wheel f will be carried beyond the arm 0, leaving it free for its spring to act upon it, and thus to throw its finger-piece it out of contact with the lower pin l and into contact with the upper pin m, and the periphery of they sectorwheel a will be brought to bear upon the arm Q, throwing its finger-piece if out of contact with the upper pin m and into contact with the lower pin Z With the movement of the sector-wheelj beyond its arm 0, and of the sector-wheel n onto its arm Q, as above described, results have been eifected as follows: First, the gasvalve or stop-cock hasbeen opened to its fullest extent, and as, at each stroke of the lever H, caused by the successive attraction of the armature, the circuit was broken and a spark emitted, it is obvious the gas necessarily must have been lighted. Second, the current of electricity through wire M is cutoff from the magnet E and thrown into the wire V, leading to the magnet of the next burner, and

which, as before stated, is the letting-on wire' to such burner. Third, a connection has been established between the magnet E and the shutting-0E wire N, so that, when desired to shut off the gas from the burner A, the operator has only to make the necessary connection between battery and shutting-off wire.

The connection between shutting-off wire N and magnet is through arm Q, its fingerpiece h pin Z and wire T.

In shutting off the gas at the burner, the operation of the parts is precisely similar to the letting on of the gas, and therefore needs no particular description; and on its completion the arm Q escapes from its sector-wheel n, and the arm 0 passes onto its sector-wheel f, re-establishing the connection between letting-on wire and magnet, as before. Gompleting the shutting 011' of the gas at one burner throws the current into the wire W,.

leading from such burner A to the next burner, which wire W to the said next burner is the shutting-off wire.

In Fig. 4, the valve in gas-pipe is shown in detail, and it is such that in a half turn of the spindle g the gas will be let on, and, continuing the turn, shut off.

The location of the circuit-breaker at the gas-burner is such that, as it breaks the circuit by escaping from the platinum arm I), the spark emitted will be sufficientlynear to the escaping gasas to ignite the same, and it is desirable that the movement to let on the gas should be so divided as to emit a sufiicient number of sparks to insure the lighting of the gas.

I do not claim turning on and ofi gas by means of a step-by-step motion, as such is not my invention.

Having thus described my invcntion,'I shall state my claims as follows:

1. A circuit-breaker, located at the burner and operated automatically, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the above a lever, adapted and arranged to open and close the stop-cock 0r valve of the burner, and carrying the circuit-breaker, substantially as herein described.

3. The arms 0 Q, seetor-wheelsf 42, pins Z1 m m Wires M N,1navgnet E, lever H, carrying armature Gr, circuit-breaker J, and pawl S, and the ratchet-wheel R, all combined and arranged together and applied to a gas-burner for operation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed byme this 4th day of June, A. D. 1872.

J. P. TIRRELL.

Witnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, ALBERT W. BROWN. 

